“I didn’t know you played tennis.”
“I’m not a superstar, but I can return a few volleys. You play?”
She chuckled. “A little. I’d prefer to swim for a workout, or go for a run.”
He trickled a finger up her arm. “We could try to run together. I know that doesn’t always work, trying to match paces. But since you’ve got a fairly sedentary job as well, it might be good for us to get into some routines.”
Oh, her favorite thing. Not. She made a face. “My downfall. Sticking to a routine isn’t easy.”
He adjusted his chair, moving closer to her side, and her heartbeat picked up. They’d been having a nice, calm conversation. What was he up to?
“You ready for some dessert?” He leaned over and stole a kiss before taking her plate and stacking it with his.
The brush of his lips teased, building the desire for more. “Depends. What’s for dessert?”
He stared at her mouth for a second, then rose and cleared away the dishes. He vanished down the back hall for a moment before returning with two small containers. “I’m tempted to say you’re for dessert, but I know you have a sweet tooth. Tonight, you get to indulge.”
He cracked open one container, and she smelled the chocolate even before she spotted the dark brown sauce. “I’m supposed to be—”
“Eating healthy. I know. It’s healthy. I won’t tell you what’s it in, but the recipe said it’s got a third of the calories of a regular chocolate fondue, and there’s no caffeine—don’t ask me how. Enjoy.”
The second container popped open to reveal slices of fruit. Max stabbed a strawberry onto his fork, swirled it in the dip then popped it into his mouth with a grin. “Hmmm. Of course, if you don’t want any…?”
She had her fork in play before he could take another bite, her own strawberry dipped and in her mouth in a flash. She might be watching what she ate, but she was no fool.
Heavenly flavor danced over her taste buds and she moaned with delight. “Holy cow, this is amazing.”
“You like?”
She leaned back in her chair and licked the chocolate off her lips, savoring every bit. “It’s incredible. I’ve never had something that’s healthy taste this good. You’re a genius, Max.”
“So I’ve been told.”
In a flash, the temperature in the room flared from comfortable to heat-wave range. In spite of the tantalizing flavor tangoing with her taste buds, all her awareness was on him. Maxwell’s gaze ate her up. The focused attention made her tingle—her skin, her breasts, her sex. He didn’t play any of the erotic food games she’d read about. Didn’t feed her, or twirl chocolate over her skin and lick it off. He might as well have, considering how excited she grew. Under his intent stare, she became much more aware of the sensual attraction between them. Every time she put the fork in her mouth, he responded—a moan or a small body movement—as if he was jealous of the tines as she licked them clean. Every time she swallowed, he swallowed in time with her. Something warned her the intimate connection growing between them was building to explosive levels.
Max enjoyed his own dessert, twirling the fork to gather the perfect amount of dip. The drive to have him drop the fork and twirl his fingers on her body instead increased. When he reached out and wiped a bit of chocolate from the corner of her mouth, she captured his finger. Her tongue wrapped around the digit, sweeping it clean, teasing it in small circles. Then she suckled lightly, thrilling when his pupils dilated. His brown eyes changed almost fully to black.
He pulled his hand away with a slight pop and a shudder shook him. When he spoke, the lust in his voice ratcheted up her desire another notch.
“I want you. No interruptions, no regrets.”
She couldn’t answer for a second, his need enveloping her like a cloud. It was past time for this. Reality reared its head for a moment. “I’m not trying to be funny, but…on the table?”
Max held out his hand to lead her to another part of the house. “I’m smarter than that…”
There was too much sexual tension between them to laugh when she saw he’d brought a mattress into the house. It lay on the floor of what would be the master bedroom. He’d piled it with soft quilts and pillows, and arranged a wild array of tea-light candles on boxes all along the perimeter of the room. He must have lit them before serving dessert. Tasha released her fingers from his and turned, intending to thank him for the thoughtfulness, but the patient man she’d had by her side all through the meal had vanished.
He kissed her madly, clutching her close. Biting her lips, nibbling on her neck and below her ear. She clung to him, fighting for balance. After kissing her breathless, he stripped off her top and bra, then stepped back.
Standing there, half-naked before him, the flickering candlelight dancing on her skin as his gaze raced over her made her suddenly uncertain. She wasn’t sure what to do with her hands. She was no shy girl to cover herself, but the longer he stood there, staring, the more self-conscious she became.
Why the hell had she thought her thirty-four-year-old body would be enough to make this work?
“Max, is everything okay?”
He shook his head. “I can’t believe we’re here and this is happening.” He laughed. “I can’t believe someone isn’t going to phone, or walk in, or do something to stop us.”
Her insecurities vanished. He was as involved as she was, and just as nervous, it seemed. She lifted her chin and paced toward him, closing the distance. The floor was cold under her bare feet, the unfinished boards of the plywood rough and itchy as she reached for him.
“It’s real. And no one will interrupt us.”
She undid the top buttons of his shirt and leaned in to kiss his chest. He hauled her against him instead of letting her finish undressing him, the fabric of his jeans and shirt a high-texture contrast with her bare skin. Somehow between the kissing and the touching, he not only stripped off his clothes, he had them on the mattress with his naked body pressed over hers intimately.
Oh yes, this was worth waiting for, all her frustrations washed away by the pleasure of the contact. Tasha opened her legs wider, letting his hips fall between her thighs. Their tongues tangled, brushing rough sweeps against each other. She couldn’t decide if she wanted to have him use that talented tongue on her body, or get straight to the good stuff.
He took control again, cupping both her breasts in his hands and pressing them together so he could suck and lap the tips until the electric sensation shooting into her core made her squirm.
She didn’t want any more foreplay. Dinner had been enough. Heck, the past week had been enough, or maybe it was all the years leading up to this moment.
“Now, Max. I want you.”
He rose, kissing his way along her collarbone, nibbling under her ear. She was ready to poke him, to tell him to hurry up, when she realized his shaft nudged her sex, slipping between the slick folds. Another slow rock, and another, rumbles of pleasure escaping his throat.
Then he lifted up on his elbows and looked her fully in the eyes as he pressed into her core.
They both groaned, Tasha from the stretching, the width of his shaft more than she’d had for a long time. Max held still, buried to the root in her body. He squeezed his eyes together and made the most hilarious face.
“You okay?” She ran her fingers through his hair and rocked her hips slightly.
“Don’t move, or I’m going to lose it. Oh my God, you feel fucking fantastic around me.”
Delight bubbled up inside her, along with a hint of mischief. “Like don’t do this?”
She squeezed her inner muscles as hard as she could, reveling in the fullness. He cursed lightly and grimaced. “Witch. I mean it, I’ve never been in a woman bare before and no one warned me how good this would feel.”